Electrical connector assembly

ABSTRACT

A pin block has a detachable cover which is slidable a small distance relative to the block. Pegs on the cover project between the arms of U-shaped contacts in channels of the block. To withdraw a pin from a contact, the cover is slid in the opposite direction so that the arms of the U-shaped contacts are prevented via engagement with the peg therebetween and hold them from camming engagement with projections in the channel.

United States Patent [72] Inventor l-lermanus Petrus Johannes Gilissen Vlijmen, Netherlands [21 App]. No. 782,079

[22] Filed Dec. 9, 1968 Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 638,802, May 16, 1967, Patent No. 3,437,983; and a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 774,721, Nov 12,1968.

[45] Patented M ar. 971 971 [73] Assignee AMP Incorporated Harrishurg,Pa.

[32] Priority Dec. 11, 1967 [33] Netherlands [54] ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY 3 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

[52] 11.5. Cl 339/ 198, 339/210, 339/273 [51] Int. Cl. H0lr 9/12 [50] Field of Search 339/198, 95

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,075,632 3/1937 Zuckerman 339/74X 2,738,482 3/1956 Benander 339/95X 3,233,209 2/1966 Lazar et a]. 339/210X 3,350,680 10/1967 Benoit et al 339/27-3X FOREIGN PATENTS 54,5 52 10/1949 France 3 39/258 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore AttorneysCurtis, Morris, and Safford, Marshall M.

l-lolcombe, William Hintze, William J. Keating, Frederick W. Raring, John R. Hopkins, Adrian J. La Rue and Jay L. Seitchik ABSTRACT: A pin block has a detachable cover which is slidable a small distance relative to the block. Pegs on the cover project between the arms of U-shaped contacts in channels of the block. To withdraw a pin from a contact, the cover is slid in the opposite direction so that the arms of the U- shaped contacts are prevented via engagement with the peg therebetween and hold them from camming engagement with projections in the channel.

' Patented March 9, 1971 V 3,569,917

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ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part application of Ser.

No. 638,802, filed May 16, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,983, and Ser. No. 774,721, filed Nov. 12, 1968.

The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly adapted to receive a wire or wire pin and establish a solderless or weldless electrical connection between the wire or pin and an electrical contact.

In copending Pat. application Ser. No. 638,802, filed May 16, 1967, there is described and claimed an electrical connector assembly comprising an insulating block formed with a cavity opening into a face of the block and a projection on a wall of the cavity, an electrical contact element of generally U-shape having a web from which a pair of arms extend, at least one arm having a curved portion directed inwardly towards the other arm, the contact element being disposed within the cavity with the projection extending into the curve of the curved portion of the one arm and movable towards the cavity opening so that a part of the one arm engages the projection and is deflected towards the other arm.

In a preferred form of connector assembly, both arms of the contact element have curved portions directed inwardly I towards each other.

A wire pin, or the conductor of a wire, is secured in the assembly by inserting the pin through the opening in the block and an aperture in the web of the contact element until it is gripped between the inwardly-curved portions of the arms of the contact. The insertion force required is only that required to overcome the natural resilience of the arms. However, if an attempt is now made to withdraw the pin, the contact element moves with the pin and the arms engage the projections in the block cavity. The arms are urged towards each other by the projections, thereby increasing the force necessary to withdraw the pin. As the withdrawal force increases so the arms are urged more firmly together into engagement with the pin and this in some instances has led to damage to the pin. 7

An object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly having a slidable part of the housing to assist in removing a pin from an electrical contact.

Another object is the provision of an electrical connector assembly wherein peg means of a slidable cover is adapted to engage a section of an electrical contact to keep the contact from maintaining a pin therewithin when it is desired to remove the pin from the contact.

A further object is to provide an electrical connector assembly including a housing means having slidable means to engage a section of contact means slidablymovable in channel means of the housing means to maintain the natural gripping force of the contact means on a pin in electrical contact therewith so that the pin can be readily removed from the contact means.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

According to the present invention, an electrical connector assembly comprises an insulating block formed with a cavity opening into a face of the block, an electrical contact element retained in but movable along the cavity towards and away from the cavity opening, and a plate forming a wall of the cavity movable relative to the block, the plate having a projection which extends into the cavity and which is engageable with the contact element to restrain it from movement towards the cavity opening on moving the plate a suitable distance away from the cavity opening.

An embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

The FIG. shows an exploded, perspective view of an electrical connector assembly according to the invention.

As shown in the drawing, the connector assembly comprises a block 1 of electrically-insulating material having a cover plate 2 of the same material and containing contact elements 3. The block 1 has a foot 4 for removably mounting the block 1 on a rail, as described and claimed in copending patent application Ser. No. 774,72l,filed Nov. 12, 1968.

The block 1 has a pair of channels 5 to receive the contact elements 3. The cover plate 2 is releasably securable to the block 1 to constitute another wall of the channels 5, thereby defining cavities opening at opposite ends 6 into a pair of opposite faces of the block 1. The channels 5 have inwardly extending shoulders 7 on opposed walls 8 to prevent the contact elements 3 from passing through the opening at their ends 6. Projections 9 extend inwardly of the channels 5 from the walls The contact elements 3 are formed of resilient metal strip material. Each element 3 has a pair of generally Ushaped contact parts 10 comprising arms l1, 12 joined by an integral web 13 in which an aperture 14 is formed. The arms 11 of the contact parts 10 are integrally joined by a strip 15. The arms 11, 12 of each contact part 10 are curved inwardly towards each other and longitudinally extending depressions 16 are formed in the facing surfaces of the curved portions to define a guideway for a wire pin or wire.

Recesses 17 are formed in the block 1 between the channels 5 to receive latching devices 18 extending from a face 19 of the cover plate 2. Each latching device 18 comprises a pair of spaced arms 20 terminating in outwardly-directed latching projections 21. The arms 20 are resiliently flexible and are spaced apart such that they can be force fitted between the longer sides of a recess 17, with the projections 21 in engagement with the longer sides, to hold the cover plate 2 on the block 1. The arms 20 and the recesses 17 are dimensioned so that the cover plate 2 can be moved laterally relative to the block 1 without the arms 20 being disengaged from the recesses 17.

Pegs 22 extend from the face 19 of the cover plate 2. Each peg 22 is arranged and dimensioned so that when the cover plate is mounted on a block 1 containing contact elements 3, it will extend into the space between the web 13 and the curved portions of the arms 11, 12 of a contact partof an element.

A wire or wire pin is secured in the assembly by inserting the pin through an open end 6, through the aperture 14 in the web 13 0f the adjacent contact element 3, and between the curved portions of the arms 11, 12 which resiliently grip the pin. On attempting to withdraw the pin, the contact element 3 moves towards the open end 6 bringing the free end portions of the arms 11, 12 into engagement with the projections 9. Further withdrawing movement of the pin causes the free end portions of the arms 11,12 to travel along the projections 9 which deflect the arms 11,12 towards each other thus causing the pin to be gripped more firmly. Since the cover plate 2 is free to move relative to the block 1, contact of the associated peg 22 with the contact part 10 gripping the wire pin, or contact of the peg 22 associated with the other contact part 10 of the contact element 3, does not restrict the movement of the contact element 3 towards the open end 6 of the cavity.

To remove the pin from the assembly,- the cover plate 2 is moved relative to the block 1 as far as is possible away from the pin that is to be withdrawn. With the cover plate 2 now held in this position, the pin is pulled out of the contact element 3. As the pin is pulled, the contact element 3 tends to move with the pin towards the open end 6 but comes into engagement with the associated peg 22 on the cover plate 2. Since the cover plate 2 is being held, the arms 11,12 of the contact part cannot engage the projections 9 so that the only gripping force on the pin that has to be overcome is that of the natural resilience of the arms l1, 12.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of the invention, which is shown and described herein, is intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising an insulating block, a plate movably mounted on said block and cooperating with said block to form a generally enclosed housing, a cavity formed in said block, one wall of said cavity being formed by said plate, said cavity having an opening for communication with the exterior of said block, an electrical contact element movably retained in said cavity, said element being capable of movement along said cavity towards and away from said opening, and a projection extending from said plate and into said cavity and engageable with said contact element for restraining said element from moving towards said opening upon moving said plate a suitable distance away from said opening.

2. An electrical connector assembly comprising an insulating block formed with a cavity opening into a face of the block, an electrical contact element retained in but movable along the cavity towards and away from the cavity opening, and a plate forming a wall of the cavity movable relative to the block, the plate being held to the block by resilient arms engaged in recesses in the block, the plate having a projection which extends into the cavity and which is engageable with the contact element to restrain it from movement towards the cavity opening on moving the plate a suitable distance away from the cavity opening.

3. An electrical connector assembly comprising an insulating block formed with a cavity opening into a face of the block, an electrical contact element retained in but movable along the cavity towards and away from the cavity opening, the contact element being of generally U-shape having a web from which a pair of arms extend, at least one arm having a curved portion directed inwardly toward the other arm, and a plate forming a wall of the cavity movable relative to the block, the plate having a projection which extends into the cavity and which is engageable with the contact element to restrain it from movement towards the cavity opening on moving the plate a suitable distance away from the cavity opening, the projection on the plate extending between the arms of the contact element adjacent the web. 

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising an insulating block, a plate movably mounted on said block and cooperating with said block to form a generally enclosed housing, a cavity formed in said block, one wall of said cavity being formed by said plate, said cavity having an opening for communication with the exterior of said block, an electrical contact element movably retained in said cavity, said element being capable of movement along said cavity towards and away from said opening, and a projection extending from said plate and into said cavity and engageable with said contact element for restraining said element from moving towards said opening upon moving said plate a suitable distance away from said opening.
 2. An electrical connector assembly comprising an insulating block formed with a cavity opening into a face of the block, an electrical contact element retained in but movable along the cavity towards and away from the cavity opening, and a plate forming a wall of the cavity movable relative to the block, the plate being held to the block by resilient arms engaged in recesses in the block, the plate having a projection which extends into the cavity and which is engageable with the contact element to restrain it from movement towards the cavity opening on moving the plate a suitable distance away from the cavity opening.
 3. An electrical connector assembly comprising an insulating block formed with a cavity opening into a face of the block, an electrical contact element retained in but movable along the cavity towards and away from the cavity opening, the contact element being of generally U-shape having a web from which a pair of arms extend, at least one arm having a curved portion directed inwardly toward the other arm, and a plate forming a wall of the cavity movable relative to the block, the plate having a projection which extends into the cavity and which is engageable with the contact element to restrain it from movement towards the cavity opening on moving the platE a suitable distance away from the cavity opening, the projection on the plate extending between the arms of the contact element adjacent the web. 